Focus on the Family Budgets $4.2M To Provide Ultrasound Equipment to Pregnancy Centers With Goal of Preventing Abortions

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 26 Apr 2005 - 9:00 PDT

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USA - The Colorado-based evangelical Christian group FOCUS ON THE FAMILY plans to spend $4.2 million this year to provide ultrasound equipment for pregnancy centers nationwide in the hope that viewing fetal images might convince some women to decide against having an abortion, the... Denver Rocky Mountain News reports. The organization this year plans to provide ultrasound machines to about 150 centers that counsel women on alternatives to abortion, with the goal of providing another 650 machines by 2010, according to Julie Parton, director of Focus on the Family's Pregnancy Resource Ministry. According to the group, 57% of women decide against abortion after having counseling and 79% of women decide against abortion after having counseling that includes viewing an ultrasound image of their fetus. However, those surveys are unreliable because most are conducted at centers that are actively trying to dissuade women from having abortions, according to National Abortion Federation President Vicki Saporta (Montero, Denver Rocky Mountain News, 4/22). Crystal Clinkenbeard, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said allowing women to see images from ultrasounds -- which are routinely performed on women seeking abortion -- likely would not prevent abortions because most women seeking abortion opt against viewing the image, according to the AP/TheDenverChannel.com (AP/TheDenverChannel.com, 4/22).

Focus on the Family

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